Seasoned players Stephen Outerbridge and Rodney Trott came together in a 143-minute, fifth-wicket stand of 127 to rescue champions Bailey’s Bay against Flatts in the first round of the Eastern Counties on Saturday at Sea Breeze Oval.Bay were wobbling at 81 for four in search of 294 before Trott joined his captain and together repaired the damage as Flatts tried in vain to break the partnership that could have changed the outcome of the match.For the second straight year individual batting performances dominated the match, but this time it was Flatts who set the tempo, hammering the Bay’s bowlers to all parts of the field on their way to an impressive 294 off just 51 of their allotted 70 overs as Regino Smith smashed his way into the record books with a blistering 145 off 105 balls.Sent in to bat by the holders, Flatts lost openers Vernon Eve and James Celestine with only 14 runs on the board. And when Reggie Baker also departed inside the first hour to make it 44 for three for the challengers, many at the ground must have wondered just how early the match would finish.Regino Smith was certainly determined to make a day of it, though, and the dashing young batsman did his reputation no harm when he set upon the Bay bowling to stroke a boundary-filled century as he surpassed Reid Johansen’s 137 in 1945 to post the highest score by a Flatts player in the Counties.Smith struck 10 fours and 12 sixes in 163 minutes as he and captain Kijuan Franks added 160 for the fifth wicket, Franks posting 60 from 81 balls off four fours and three sixes to play no small part in the recovery that lifted the Flatts spirits. The pair were coasting along at 247 for four when Bay seamer Lateef Trott ripped through the Flatts batting with four wickets off four deliveries to stall Flatts’ push towards a declaration total.Trott, the son of former Bay allrounder Clarkie Trott, was nearing the end of his ninth over when he bowled Franks with the fifth ball and then knocked back Nelson Bascome’s stumps with his next delivery. The young seamer completed his hat-trick at the start of his next over when he held a return catch from Smith’s mishit drive, before making it four for four next ball when he trapped Chris Dailey lbw on his way to figures of six for 38 from 12 overs as Flatts limped to 294 thanks to Rahji Edness’ knock of 21 late in the innings.Rodney Trott claimed two for 63 from seven overs of spin.“I do know they play in the First Division but I thought Regino’s knock was top shelf,” conceded the Bay captain.“Everything he hit went to the boundary or went through the gaps, it was just a special innings. He’s a very good player and he used his feet well and played Rodney like he was bowling underarm at times. When someone plays an innings like that you have to take your hat off and acknowledge that it was special.”Bay were given 17 additional overs 65 in total to reach their target of 295 and Glenn Blakeney and Terryn Fray looked up to the challenge as they added 50 in just 6.3 overs for the first wicket on their way to a opening stand of 67.The introduction of Vernon Eve’s left arm spin as first change proved significant as he quickly got the breakthrough when Blakeney edged a catch to wicketkeeper Region Smith when attempting to square cut.Eve then followed that up by removing Tre Manders and Fray in successive overs before and after lunch and then got 14-year-old colt Azende Furbert off a diving catch by Rahji Edness in the covers to put Bay in some trouble at 81 for four. However, for the second time in the match a century stand for the fifth wicket involving a captain changed the match. Flatts’ firm grip on the match was slowly loosened as Outerbridge and Rodney Trott moved the score from 81 to 208. Flatts alternated their bowlers in a desperate bid for a breakthrough but their bowling lacked the depth as the chance of a win slowly dissipated.Outerbridge carried his team to safety and in the closing overs accelerated his scoring as he pushed for a first century in the Counties, falling for 94 when going for a six off the last ball of the match. As the 7.20 cut-off time approached, Outerbridge needed 18 off that final over from Regino Smith and managed three fours before going for a big hit off the final delivery.Outerbridge admitted the stand between himself and Trott was crucial for Bay, but thought Flatts may have missed their chance by batting too long.“I don’t think too many Eastern Counties games have been won by someone scoring 300 runs,” he stated. “I would have thought after Regino got out they would have declared and give us a very competitive score, but they kept batting. I thought 300 runs would take something special because it was not a 50-overs match, even though we have chased down 300 runs this year.“At the end of the day when you play County there is a lot of emphasis on retaining the cup and it was a matter of time before somebody put their head down.”Outerbridge was that somebody, batting for 193 minutes, facing 151 balls and hitting nine fours and two sixes.Eve was the pick of the Flatts bowlers, taking four for 30 from 19 overs while Regino Smith, who began the match as wicketkeeper, bowled nine overs and claimed one for 39.